DISCLAIMER: Our iCandy Cerium Pushchair was very kindly gifted by iCandy as part of a 12 month partnership on instagram. This blog post is an honest review of our experience with the Cerium over the past year, and is not part of that partnership.
18 months ago we test drove the iCandy Cerium and it was love at first sight. Yes, that’s right, you test drive pushchairs. Who knew!? Not me. It was my first experience looking at our babies first wheels, and initially, my only request was that it was all black. I know, eye roll!
As we looked around the showroom and the saleswoman talked us through the different brands and models it became apparent there was a lot more to consider than just the colour. Oops, my bad!
I had seen the iCandy Cerium online and loved it. In real life it didn’t disappointed. It stood out a mile in the store. It’s black chassis gleamed against the luxury embossed fabric wrapped around the carrycot and hood. It was sleek and stylish, everything I wanted to be as mum, so naturally I was drawn to it immediately. It was my spirit pushchair. I spent the next hour pushing it around the store comparing every other model to it, it’s safe to say that nothing gave me those feels the way the Cerium did.
During that hour I noticed how comfortable it was to push. It was so easy to manoeuvre around the store, weaving it in and out of the displays was a breeze. Over the past year this has been such an important factor. We’ve taken the Cerium everywhere with us. On shopping trips, around the supermarket, daily walks around the park, even to the airport and on holiday to the south of France. It’s never let us down with how easy it is to steer and control.
We also loved the additional features that come with the Cerium. My husband and I are on the tall side (he’s 6’3”) and when we added the height adjusters and had a play with the adjustable handlebar we knew it suited both of us. When Margot was born it was so easy to get her in and out of the carrycot, not having to bend too far down to check on her has meant that I haven’t had to suffer any extra aches and pains and now that she’s a lot heavier and in her seat, it makes putting her in and fastening the harness really easy.
The carrycot also stood out. Not only was it beautiful in the bespoke cerium fabrics, it was huge! We loved that this part of the pushchair was suitable from birth and that it was safe for overnight sleeping. This feature was essential during the first 6 months with Margot. She slept so soundly in the Cerium, I was able to detach it from the chassis without waking her and have her snoozing next to me while I sent some emails, filmed a youtube video, or just enjoyed a hot coffee.
The canopy hood is also a great size and wraps right over the carrycot, perfect for creating a dark, cosy environment for those snooze sessions and for keeping the elements out while walking the dogs. The canopy is also SPF50+ with a multi-position mesh ventilation system, keeping Margot safe and cool during those summer months.
After 6 months we swapped over to the seat. Margot looked so comfy (and grown up) in it. The same soft, luxury fabrics are used in the seat and on the harness. It’s well padded and easy to adjust with it’s one-handed seat recline feature, great for when Margot nods off. You also have the option to have the seat parent or world facing which we flick between regularly.
As I mentioned previously, we walk the dogs daily using the iCandy Cerium. Our regular walk is through a park with a relatively smooth path, but there have been many occasions where we’ve had to follow the dogs across the grass, the wheels have handled the change of terrain wonderfully. We also live in a town with lots of cobbled side streets, again, these haven’t been an issue.
As the Cerium is relatively lightweight, I’ve found it really easy to navigate up and down kerbs too. The compact, freestanding, one-handed fold makes it quick and easy to put down and fit in the boot of our car. We’re lucky enough to have a spacious boot so I’ve been able to fit the chassis and the carrycot in the car with ease. If you’re concerned about space, the cerium is compatible with a number of carseats including the maxi cosi, the cybex cloud and Joie iGemm, a full list can be found on their website.
Obviously the iCandy ticked ALL of the boxes in the way that it looks, and it’s performance excelled all expectations of what I hoped for in our pushchair. But my favourite feature and probably the most practical, has been the 10kg capacity basket. I have loaded it to the max on many occasion, filling it with book orders to take to the parcel box has been incredibly handy. I also fill it regularly with bags of groceries, making a food shop a walk in the park! This was something I had dreaded with a little one in tow, but she loves it and I don’t have to worry about carrying the shopping, it all fits under her seat perfectly.
Over the past 12 months we’ve used iCandy Cerium pushchair everyday, except for that one time I left a wheel in Nice airport…but lets not get in to that. The Cerium made becoming a mum so much easier. That may sound like a big claim but it’s true. After 48 hours of having Margot I felt confident enough to go for a (very slow) walk through the park. She looked so peaceful and content in her carrycot and I felt so proud pushing her around, it’s a moment I will remember forever.
Over the weeks that followed my confidence grew and we went out every day together. I wheeled her in to coffee shops where she slept and I enjoyed a little bit of normality, I was able to carry on doing what I love, sending out my book and print orders with the help of the extra large basket. And the dogs have never felt left out, their morning walks have remained part of my daily routine, they trot happily alongside the pushchair, until they see a squirrel at least.
I think it’s pretty obvious that I would 100% recommend this pushchair to any parents to be. Not one part of this model has been a let down, I only wish I had the time to give it a weekly clean and a polish!
If you are considering the iCandy Cerium pushchair I hope you found this blog post helpful. If you have any questions that I haven’t covered above please feel free to send me a message on instagram or visit the iCandy website for a more detailed spec
